Do You Need a 60A Breaker for Level 2 Charging in Fort Myers Homes? | CoHarbor Electric

Do You Need a 60A Breaker for Level 2 Charging in Fort Myers Homes?

We’ve been getting this question a lot lately — usually right after someone buys their first electric vehicle. The call goes something like this:

“Hey, I just bought a Level 2 charger. The manual says 60 amps. My panel only has 100 total. Do I really need a 60-amp breaker?”

Good question. And it’s one we hear from homeowners all over Fort Myers — from McGregor and Whiskey Creek to Cape Coral and San Carlos Park.

The short answer? Not always. But it depends on the charger, the wiring, and your home’s electrical setup.

Let’s break it down the way we do when we’re standing in someone’s garage, flashlight in hand, trying to figure out the safest, most cost-effective way to get that EV charging without overloading anything.

Understanding Level 2 Charging

First, let’s get on the same page about what a Level 2 charger actually is.

Level 1 chargers plug into a standard wall outlet — 120 volts, same as your toaster. They’re slow. Level 2 chargers use 240 volts, just like your dryer or stove, and charge about 6–10 times faster.

That means more power, more current, and more heat if it’s not done right.

So yes, the circuit size matters.

Most Level 2 chargers draw anywhere between 16 and 48 amps depending on the model. And by code, a continuous load like an EV charger can only use 80% of a circuit’s capacity.

That means if a charger pulls 48 amps continuously, you’ll need a 60-amp breaker (because 80% of 60 = 48).

But not all chargers pull that much.

Common Charger Sizes

Here’s what we see most often out in the field around Fort Myers:

So, if your charger is a 40-amp model, you only need a 50-amp breaker. If it’s 48 amps, then yes — you’ll need a 60-amp.

But here’s the thing — most homes around Fort Myers don’t need to max out at 48 amps to charge overnight.

We’ve installed plenty of setups that run perfectly on 40 amps, fully charging an EV between dinner and breakfast.

The Real Limiting Factor: Your Electrical Panel

Now, before you go buying breakers and running wire, you’ve got to know what your panel can handle.

A lot of homes in this area, especially older ones, still run on 100-amp service. Between the AC, water heater, pool pump, and kitchen appliances, that doesn’t leave a ton of spare capacity.

If we dropped in a 60-amp EV circuit on top of that, we’d be pushing it close to the edge. That’s not good for long-term reliability — or safety.

When we come out to inspect, we do a full load calculation first. We figure out how much amperage your home is actually using, then see how much headroom’s left.

If you’ve got the space, a 60A circuit’s fine. But if not, we’ll usually recommend one of two things:

1. Use a load management system.
   This device automatically adjusts charging speed based on what your home’s using at the moment. If the AC turns on, the charger slows down a bit until it cycles off. No breaker trips, no overloads.

2. Install a lower-amp charger.
   Most EV owners never need to pull the full 48 amps anyway. A 32- or 40-amp charger is more than enough for overnight charging.

You don’t have to go “full power” to get full convenience.

Wire Size and Safety — The Part Most People Miss

Here’s where a lot of DIY installs go wrong: even if you’ve got the right breaker, you still need the right wire size to handle that current.

For example:

• A 50-amp circuit needs 6-gauge copper wire.

• A 60-amp circuit should use 4-gauge copper (or 6-gauge aluminum in conduit, but we avoid aluminum in Florida humidity).

We’ve seen homeowners try to reuse an old dryer line for their charger — and that’s a hard no. EVs pull a continuous load for hours, and smaller gauge wire just can’t dissipate the heat safely.

When we install, we always use copper wire, rated for 75°C or higher, with full-length grounding and GFCI protection. Every connection gets torqued, tested, and inspected.

Because once that charger starts running, it’s pulling steady current all night long. There’s no room for “good enough.”

Real Job Example: Fort Myers Install with Load Management

A couple months back, we worked on a 1976 home near Whiskey Creek. The homeowner had just bought a Tesla and wanted a wall charger in his garage.

His main panel was 100 amps, already feeding two AC units, a water heater, and a pool pump. Running a 60-amp breaker straight off it would’ve overloaded the system.

Instead, we installed a smart load-sharing device that monitors total panel load in real time. When the house draws under 80 amps, the charger runs at full 40A speed. When it spikes higher, the system throttles charging automatically.

We tied it into a 50-amp circuit, used 6-gauge copper wiring, and mounted the charger cleanly beside the panel. The entire job took about five hours — including testing and permitting.

By the time we left, he could charge his car safely overnight without touching his panel service.

He saved around $2,000 by avoiding a full upgrade — and the system passed inspection without a hitch.

What Happens If You Oversize (or Undersize) the Breaker

If you install a breaker that’s too small, it’ll trip constantly. Your charger won’t hurt anything, but it’ll be frustrating.

If you install one that’s too large, it becomes a fire risk. The wire could overheat before the breaker trips. That’s why the breaker and wiring have to be matched perfectly for the load.

We don’t guess on this stuff. We calculate it, size it, and build it right the first time.

The Florida Factor

Here’s something most homeowners don’t realize — Florida’s climate affects wiring more than you’d think.

Heat, humidity, and salt air cause corrosion faster than most other states. That’s why we seal all conduit connections, use anti-oxidant compound on lugs, and keep outdoor installations rated for NEMA 3R or higher.

We’ve seen chargers installed with indoor-rated junction boxes rust out in a year. That won’t happen on our watch.

Bottom Line

Do you need a 60A breaker for a Level 2 charger?

Sometimes yes — sometimes no.

If your charger’s a 48-amp model (like many Teslas or Emporias), then yes, you’ll want a 60A circuit. If it’s a 32- or 40-amp unit, a 40A or 50A breaker will do just fine.

The real question isn’t the charger — it’s your home’s panel and wiring. That’s what decides what’s safe.

How We Can Help

We’ve installed hundreds of Level 2 chargers all over Fort Myers — from downtown condos to coastal homes in Iona and Cape Coral.

When we come out, we’ll:

• Check your panel and load capacity.

• Help you pick the right charger and breaker combo.

• Run proper copper wiring with full grounding.

• Pull permits and handle inspections start to finish.

No guesswork, no shortcuts, no overloaded breakers.

👉 Call Coharbor Electric today to schedule your EV charger inspection or installation. We’ll make sure your setup’s built right — safe, clean, and ready for Florida’s climate.

We make EV charging easy, reliable, and built to last — the right way, the first time.